Donnybrook Road bottleneck goes on
I am a resident of Kalkallo. I am writing to draw urgent attention to an issue that is affecting the daily lives of thousands of residents in our community in Kalkallo: the need for a full duplication of Donnybrook Road, including the bridge over the Hume Freeway, not merely an upgrade to the Mitchell Street intersection.
At present, Donnybrook Road is a major bottleneck that is simply unable to handle the rapidly increasing traffic volume in our growing area. Every morning and evening, I, along with countless other residents, face the frustration of being stuck in congestion for up to two hours each day. This is not only stressful and exhausting but also negatively impacts productivity, family time, and mental health.
In addition, the connection between Donnybrook Road and the Hume Highway is in urgent need of development and improvement. The current infrastructure cannot cope with demand, leading to constant gridlock and a genuine safety concern for drivers. Emergency vehicles, commuters, and freight are all affected by this unacceptable situation.
I extend an open invitation to anyone in a decision-making position, state officials, local council representatives, or transport authorities to come and experience this for themselves. Stand in the traffic with us one morning and witness first-hand how the lack of adequate road infrastructure is impacting our lives.
We urge the relevant authorities to act now: commit to the full duplication of Donnybrook Road, including the Hume bridge and improved freeway connection. Our community deserves infrastructure that meets our present needs and prepares for future growth.
Kifarkis Nissan
Kalkallo
Using heritage to improve the future
Ian Blyth suggested in his Just My Opinion piece (5/8/2025) that letting go of the past is the only way to build a future.
The Seymour community doesn’t want to save its heritage bridge just because it is old and connects us to our history. We have good, sound reasons for wanting our bridge restored as, when it was closed, several problems then occurred which are on-going. Seymour is also a low socio-economic town and we’d like to use our heritage to improve our future.
Please let me explain.
The main road in and out of Seymour, on the Puckapunyal side, is a single-lane road over four narrow flood-plain bridges. With people no longer having access to the other side of the river via our heritage bridge, walkers, runners, cyclists, fisherman, etc. all have to use this narrow road over the flood plain.
There is no road edge that would allow pedestrians and cyclists to use this route in safety, so anyone fishing or camping on the other side of the river, or coming and going from Pucka, Dysart or Northwood, on foot or by bike, haveto negotiate this narrow road. Kids on BMX bikes with fishing rods hanging over their shoulders are regularly seen navigating this narrow road over our floodplain, and our local cycling club uses this narrow road for both training and races. This road is also used by all of the buses: rail, school and local routes.
Additionally, this road is extremely busy because the quarry access is on this same stretch of narrow road, and is constantly in use by trucks and B-doubles. It is just not safe for pedestrians and cyclists to use this stretch of road.
In addition, our previous councillors favoured the proposed rail trail from Tallarook entering Seymour over our old bridge, as Council’s research showed that it was the most cost-efficient and effective pathway for this project. Safe access, and more tourist dollars for our community.
Restoration of our bridge will give back safe connectivity to campers, to fishermen, and to district people as well as tourists who want to get in and out of Seymour safely, on foot or by bike.
Seymour’s great strength is its volunteers. We have spent decades working to improve Seymour’s economy, bringing in tourist dollars that can be used to help our town where it is most needed.
Our volunteers have done such things as the Australian Light Horse Memorial Park, the Bushland Park, the Tastes of the Goulburn, the Seymour Show and Shine, the beautiful upgrade to the WW1 Memorial at the Hospital, and the Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk, just to name a few.
All of these things bring in huge numbers of people to Seymour who spend money in our town, and that money is used to help non-profits and other areas of need in Seymour.
This is where our heritage can help to improve our future so that we are not reliant on council to pay for everything our community needs. We have given talks and made submissions to our new councillors about what our heritage bridge can do to help our future, but no one is listening.
Our volunteers have big ideas to hold events that can be used to fundraise for our community. Events such as sound and light shows which showcase our military history. Can you imagine the Charge of the Light Brigade over our bridge? And what about concerts? Can you imagine the sound of music flowing out over the water to those watching and listening from the banks? These are just a couple of ideas, and the possibilities are literally endless.
We absolutely believe the restoration is worth what our restored bridge can do for Seymour’s future. Please would you help us achieve our goals?
Carolynne Burgess Blackwell
Concerns over net-zero vote
We write to the readers of your newspaper as concerned members of the Voices for Nicholls movement, to ask how Sam Birrell, our electorate’s representative in the House of Representatives, will vote on the private member’s bill tabled by Barnaby Joyce, which was introduced and read for the first time on July 28.
The effects of man-made climate change are of increasing concern to the people of Nicholls. Our community consultation shows that this is especially so for the group who will be aged 19-32 at the next federal election. People were glad to hear Sam Birrell’s statement at the Shepparton Candidates’ Forum in April, that “climate change is a thing”, but we feel much more decisive action is needed to slow climate change.
This private members bill proposes to repeal the Climate Change Act 2022, Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Act 2024, Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Charges) Act 2024, Net Zero Economy Authority Act 2024 New Vehicle Efficiency Standards Act 2024.
It also proposes to amend the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Act 1991, Future Made in Australia Act 2024 to remove references to net zero greenhouse gas emissions and the Paris Agreement and the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 to remove the emissions reduction safeguard mechanism.
This private members bill is, in our view, irresponsible and mischievous. It is not in the best interests of our electorate.
We are concerned that Sam Birrell maintain his stated belief that “climate change is a thing” in the face of his party’s apparent position that climate change is not to be taken seriously.
Sue Kent
Chairperson, Voices for Nicholls
